RADIO DELLEN
JUNE 30, 2003
This year we will be using a new solid state transmitter, designed and built by Lars Molin and Rolf Larsson of Delsbo Radioklubb. The transmitter is not yet operational but we expect it to be on the air this week. Further info will be published on this site as soon as we have any new information. We will start regular transmissions at 22.00 UTC (00.00 SST) on Monday, June 30 on 1602 kHz, using the old 50 W rig and as soon as possible we will switch over to the new transmitter. We expect it to have an output power about 8-10 times that of the old rig. Also, we have added a couple of sections to the aerial mast which is now about 21 m.
Initially, we will relay Radio Ljusdal but in a couple of days we will have our own music mixes from 15.00 to 06.00 UTC . From 06 to 15 UTC (8 to 17 SST) we will carry the live programmes from Radio Ljusdal. We also plan to make a few DX-tests with club members participating and listeners are invited to phone in to the studio. Phone no is 0651 15519 within Sweden and from abroad 0046 651 15519.
Reception report can be sent to this address:
Radio Dellen
Light Valley Media
Box 90
SE-82723 Ljusdal
Sweden
You can also mail us at radiodellen2003@hotmail.com but if you would like a QSL card, please send sufficient return postage (Swedish stamps, IRC or a $ bill). E-mail reports will be verified by e-mail if we don't receive any return postage.
That's it for now... more info coming up soon.
73 & GOOD DX
Radio Dellen / Ronny Forslund
JULY 1, 2003
We were heard by Teemu Juurinen at Hollola, Finland at 20.30 UTC. Still using the old marine rig (power about 50 W), we have not yet received any reports from Swedish listeners although we know there are many trying to catch our signal. Keep tryin' boys and girls!
JULY 2, 2003
If everything works as it should, Radio Dellen will switch over to the new transmitter later today Wednesday. The power output is estimated at 300-400 watts with an effectiveness of probably 50%. This should boost our signal quite a lot so you should be able to note some improvements. The transmitter incorporates a Geosonic exciter and a power amplifier made by Standard Radio. The aerial is a 21 m. vertical with a "top hat" attached to 8 radial cables and there are 14 ground radials as well.
For those of you who can read Swedish, there were two articles published on Radio Dellen today: by Hälsinglands Tidning and Ljusdals-Posten.
You can download the actual pages as pdf-files and print them out or save them on your computer. Here you will also see some pics of the merry Radio Dellen team.
Download article from Hälsinglands Tidning
Download article from Ljusdals-Posten
JULY 3, 2003
Yes box, we finally made it! Tonight our technical wizzards finally got the new rig on the air. I was listening to Radio Dellen on my car radio last evening while driving around the Dellen area and thought the new transmitter had already been switched on as the ground wave coverage was a lot better than last year. The station temporarily went off the air just after 22.30 UTC (0.30 local time = SST) and around 1 o'clock UTC the new transmitter was switched on. The first thing you noted was the frequency stability - we are now more or less exactly on 1602 kHz as this transmitter is crystal-controlled (although some technically obsessed nitwit would probably argue that when you are 6 Hz above 1602 you're not EXACTLY on 1602... Still, it is well within the regulations specified by the PTS who licensed the operation).
As for the transmitter it is not run on full power yet. This is because we have been experiencing problems with HF coming into the power amplifier, causing the safety circuits to shut the voltage down. However, we expect to overcome this problem by adding a new filter in a couple of days. At the moment, the power output is estimated at 130-150 watts, resulting in an effective radiated power of somewhere just below 100 watts. But it surely is an improvement from the old "iron horse" so now we are expecting lots of reports from you out there. Just write or mail as soon as you hear us.
As for special programmes, yours truly was on the air for two hours yesterday from 16-18 UTC, first with Radio Lions (produced for Lions Club, Färila) and "From Ed to Memphis" - a programme where you can hear lots of golden oldies and obscure music that you won't hear anywhere else in the mediumwave band (or any band, for that matter). These programmes will also be on the air next week, but will be moved to another day because of other duties - more details later. I expect to have the first programme schedule of Radio Dellen ready by tomorrow Friday.
Keep listening - and GOOD DX!
JULY 4, 2003
Our transmitter is working well on 1602 kHz and reception reports have sofar been received by e-mail from the following listeners:
Jari Korhonen, Kitee, Finland
Bo Nensén, Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
Anders Jonsson, Gimo, Sweden
Johan Letterstål, Stockholm, Sweden
Tore B. Vik, Mysen, Norway
Radio Dellen has also been reported heard by
Björn Fransson, Visby, Sweden
Peter Scherwat, Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
Teemu Juurinen, Hollola, Finland
We hope to receive many more reception reports so keep on listening.
Our first DX-test will go on the air at 0.00 UTC (2.00 SST) on Monday, July 7. During this programme we will also run a contest where you will be able to win various prices. We will run a special song medley with intros from various songs and it's up to you to identify the songs and the singers. Among the prices are baseball caps, wristwatches and a one year subscription to the Swedish "Nostalgia" magazine.
On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of July we will carry special reports from musical and touristic events in the Dellen area between 08-13 UTC (10-15 SST). These programmes will also be heard locally over the FM channels of Radio Ljusdal.
JULY 5, 2003
Today, Saturday, Peter Scherwat of Örnsköldsvik reported very good reception in Hanabäcksliden at 10.55 UTC. Obviously our signal reaches very far also in daytime. Ground wave reception in the target area - Dellenbygden - is good and the station can be heard with good quality on a car radio in an area with approx. a 20 km radius. Tomorrow we will have live reports from Delsbostämman, which is Sweden's oldest folk music festival. Live programmes will be aired at 08-13 UTC. And don't forget our DX-test starting at 00.00 UTC.
JULY 6, 2003, 21 UTC
Today there have many reports from Delsbostämman - Sweden's oldest folk music festival - on Radio Dellen. It was nice to hear that so many people I met at the festival actually were listening to Radio Dellen on mediumwave, although they were not radio hobbyists. Obviously you can get people to switch over to AM if there is anything to listen to. When I went out for a meal after having covered the festival for hours, you could hear Radio Dellen loud and clear over the restaurant's loudspeaker system. So obviously this project is attracting a lot of "ordinary" listeners, too.
In a couple of hours our DX test will go on the air and we hope the reception will be good out there. Per-Johan Nylund of Oxkangar in Finland reports a very good signal on 1602 and says he can hear us around the clock. He also mailed us an audio clip of our station ID and the quality and signal strength was impressive. If conditions are favourable we should be able to reach out very far tonight.
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P.S. As music and DX-ing often goes hand in hand, why not check out my vinyl pages? Here you find thousands of vinyl records for sale. Prices are in Swedish Crowns (SEK). Just click on the links below and mark the titles you want, copy them and paste them into a separate document or a mail which you then mail to info@rock.x.se You can also download the complete list as an rtf file (works with both PC and Mac) from http://www.rock.x.se/SKIVLISTA.rtf
You will be able to hear a lot of music from these pages on Radio Dellen. The following categories are available:
50's/60's singles, Instrumental singles, Scandinavian singles, Swedish singles, 70's-90's singles, heavy singles, EP:s, unplayed EP:s, 12" maxi singles, ABBA & related, Beach Boys, Beatles & related, David Bowie, Cliff & Shadows, Elvis, Eurovision Song Contest, Rolling Stones & related, Roxette & Related, 50's-60's albums, 70's-90's albums, heavy albums, country albums, soul & blues albums, instrumental albums, Swedish albums, jazz albums, soundtracks & compilation albums, Frank Zappa, bargain section (cheapies) Magazines
Payment: The best method is actually sending cash in reg. letter. Bank drafts or any cheques are too expensive to cash here for amounts under SEK 1000 (US$150).Another possibility is sending the money to my postal giro account no. 475 78 84 - 4 (Ronny Forslund). In this case, please add SEK40/$6 to cover the giro charges. You can also send an International Money Order which you buy at your local post office, but please avoid bank drafts and cheques for amounts under SEK1000/$150 (or, better still, order together with some friends to get a larger order). One final option: You can pay to my bank account no. 7759 12 34390 (bank: Föreningssparbanken, Härjedalsvägen, SE-82041 Färila, Sweden) provided you send the money without charge for the recipient. NEW! Now you can also pay by credit card through PayPal - just state my mail info@rock.x.se when submitting your details.
Foreign customers please send a mail and I will tell you what's still available. Don't send any money in advance. Svenska kunder kan som vanligt beställa per telefon 0651/769073. Skivorna sänds mot postförskott om inget annat överenskommes.
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